


Fille Du Roy

by PizzaHorse



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cassunzel - Lighthouse AU, Developing Friendships, F/F, Female Friendship, Fluff, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting to Know Each Other, Lighthouses, Ocean, Sea, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-26 18:30:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21378622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaHorse/pseuds/PizzaHorse
Summary: Out in the lighthouseDown by the deep seaLives a fair maidenVeiled in mysteryI want to know herAnd bring her some gleeI'll walk to the shoreTo hear her story
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The Cassunzel Server](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+Cassunzel+Server).

Rapunzel had heard stories about the keeper of the old lighthouse. Very few had ever glimpsed her, and even then, only at a distance. She never traveled into town, instead making arrangements for food and other necessities to be delivered to her beachside home. Even so, those who made the deliveries said she spoke little, and only opened the door wide enough to slip her hand through and offer payment.

Only when they had begun the trek back to town and were far along the sandy shore, could they occasionally glimpse a dark shadowy form exit the lighthouse, quickly picking up the package and heading back inside. That was her preference: "leave the box and go."

No one could quite remember when the former lighthouse keeper had moved on, nor when this woman had taken over. It must have been a seamless transition, unseen by the rest of the world, but the ambiguity gave her a cryptic aura of agelessness.

That, and the fact that no one had ever seen her up close.

What business did any of the townsfolk have with going to the lighthouse and bothering its keeper?

Some said she was a witch, performing experiments and mixing potions all alone in her tower. Others proclaimed that she was a mermaid who longed to return to the sea, but had lost her tail to a curse. Still others said she was something beyond human, exacerbated by the fact that she always wore gloves and always appeared as a cloaked figure.

But she performed her duties, maintaining the lighthouse and helping guide ships safely to the harbor, so no one really cared who or _what _she might be.

Then there was Rapunzel, the golden-haired daughter of the mayor. She'd heard the stories - usually, she was the one asking for them. The tales were old, and everyone else had heard them numerous times over. After all, there was only so much gossip to go around in Corona.

Unlike the rest, Rapunzel was intrigued - enamored, really, by the mysterious being locked away behind wooden walls, ever watchful of the land and the sea below. What did she do all day, all alone? Surely one would get bored of doing the same thing day in and day out. And wasn't she lonely, all by herself? Why was she so reclusive, anyway?

Rapunzel resolved once and for all to find out which of the stories were fiction, and which were fact.


	2. Chapter 2

The day was overcast and windy, a day when most people would have preferred to huddle indoors. But Rapunzel feared no weather, and she had planned to take today to go to the beach. Well, not the beach, exactly, but a particular beachside home.

She figured she ought to bring a gift - after all, she _was_ showing up uninvited. So, with a thick coat on and a basket of goodies tucked under one arm, she set out. It wasn't long before she reached the white tower, standing tall as a guardian over the ocean and its travelers.

She knocked, lightly, as one would do when they were expected, but still trying to be polite and not bother the occupant.

No answer.

Rapunzel chewed her lip, thinking of leaving the basket on the porch. But there was no telling when the lighthouse keeper might come down again, and besides, she risked the wind carrying the whole thing away. She knocked again, this time with her fist, hoping that her initial taps had been missed among the cacophony of the wind and the waves.

Still nothing.

She tried the door, pulling down the handle, surprised to find it unlocked. For someone who didn't want to be bothered, she didn't make it all that difficult for a person to intrude. It whined loudly on its hinges, no doubt rusted from years in the moist sea air.

It was dark inside, save for the light leaking in from the doorway and a faint glow from a couple of high up windows. She could make out silhouettes of what was probably furniture, and to her left, a staircase. More than likely, the lighthouse keeper was at the top.

The wooden building creaked, sounding like any minute the whole place might come crashing down. The waves, just outside, slammed against the rocks, making Rapunzel feel almost as if she was on a ship, were it not for the solid ground beneath her. The air itself was not much warmer inside than out, save for the walls of the building blocking out the wind.

She began to ascend the steps, noticing a light at the top of the spiral. It must have been the lantern room. She decided to focus on each step, carefully making her way up in the dim light. She wondered what the keeper might be like. Tall, dark, and mysterious weren't exactly overly descriptive. But the lack of knowledge certainly made her curious. Although curiosity was probably not a good reason to enter someone's home uninvited.

All of a sudden, there was a glowing face right in front of her, and she gasped, tripping on the previous step and nearly tumbling down the stairs.

"Careful," a gloved hand reached out from the shadows, clutching onto the arm that was holding the basket.

Rapunzel righted herself, gaining back her balance as she gripped the banister with her free hand. She stared at the dark haired woman before her, illuminated by the light from the lantern she was holding at eye level. She looked… not much like what Rapunzel would picture a witch or an eldritch being to look like. She was pretty, from what she could tell, not old or withered or ghastly or really anything like the stories she'd been told.

"Can I help you?"

Rapunzel shook her head, trying to refocus. "I brought you some blackberry buns."

"Why?"

"I thought you might like them?"

"Oh," she looked surprised, "Okay."

They stood in silence, listening to the waves crashing over the rocks. The wind whipped against the outside walls, making the old boards creak, giving the place an uncanny feeling, especially with the overall lack of lighting. Rapunzel was starting to understand the stories now. She couldn't imagine living here, isolated from the rest of the world, with only eerie sounds for company. How did a normal person live, secluded in a place like this, and not go crazy?

"Here," Rapunzel said, sliding her arm from the other woman's grasp and presenting the basket.

She held the lantern over it, seeming to examine the checkered cloth that hid the food away, before she commented, "I could make some tea. If you want to eat those buns."

"Yes!" Rapunzel said, a little too enthusiastically, letting go of the banister to do a little hop, which set her off balance. The woman grabbed her by the shoulder to steady her.

"Come on, then," she looped her arm around Rapunzel's and took the banister with her other hand, tugging her to follow.

When they reached the ground floor, she put the lantern down on what Rapunzel could now make out as a table. Then, she set about adding wood to the stove, lighting it before grabbing the kettle from on top and filling it with water. While that was heating, she lit two other lamps that were affixed to the walls, finally properly illuminating the room.

She picked two mismatched mugs from a rack above the sink, before rifling through a cupboard and pulling out a square metal tin. Rapunzel, meanwhile, seated herself and started unwrapping the treats. Surprisingly, there were two chairs at the table, despite the keeper supposedly never having company.

Quiet settled between them as the elusive woman stood in front of the stove, seemingly just waiting for the kettle to whistle. She must be used to it, Rapunzel supposed. Living alone, far out of town, with few to no visitors. Why didn't she ever venture down into the village? Why did she choose to seclude herself in her seaside tower?

A light clinking sound broke Rapunzel from her thoughts, and she craned her neck to see the other woman scooping tea leaves into each cup. Then she deposited the small measuring cup back into the canister with a clatter. As if on cue, the kettle began to _hiss_, giving the impression that the whole thing had been orchestrated with precise timing.

She set a steaming mug in front of Rapunzel, then sat down in the other unoccupied seat. She slipped off a pair of rubber gloves, placing them next to her. Rapunzel picked up one of the rolls from the basket, offering it to her, which she took tentatively. But before she could even begin to make pleasant conversation, the lighthouse keeper spoke.

"So, what do you want?"

"Pardon?"

"You brought me something. That must mean you want something in return. What could I possibly have that you want?"

"I just wanted to meet you. That's all."

"Really?" she sounded skeptical.

"Don't you get many visitors?" Rapunzel asked, despite being fairly certain of the answer.

"No," she said flatly, staring at the contents of her cup as she swirled the leaves around in her tea.

"I'm Rapunzel," she said, realizing that introductions had not yet been made.

"Cassandra."

_Cassandra._ It was… more ordinary than she had been expecting. Not something otherworldly or in a hard to pronounce foreign tongue. But she did have a name, which no one in town had made mention of. This was actually a lot farther than Rapunzel had expected to get today. Sitting across from a person who was practically a legend, the main character in so many old sailor's tales. Watching her devour three of the blackberry buns before even touching her tea.

"You might want to slow down… Wouldn't want you to be sick."

She swallowed, nodding deliberately as she eyed the remainder of the snacks.

Rapunzel glanced around as she bit into one of the rolls, trying to find something that might spark a good conversation topic. The place was fairly sparse, save for necessities - a few dishes, some rope, a couple of unlit lanterns next to a jar that she assumed contained oil, a small stack of firewood, and a few other assorted odds and ends. No family photos, no weird collections, not anything that looked remotely like a personal trinket or family heirloom.

A crate of fresh apples appeared to be the only perishable item in the house, next to a few unmarked bags of what was probably some kind of dried food item. She also noticed an open box that had what looked like tins of canned beef, with a few empty cans sitting next to it. Is that what she normally ate? No wonder she liked the baked goods.

Finding nothing particularly compelling, and burdened by the lengthening silence, Rapunzel blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Are you a witch?"

Cassandra nearly choked as she tried to take a sip of tea, "What?"

"Some people in town, they say-"

"Do you believe everything those old sailors tell you?" she rolled her eyes.

"I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

The lighthouse keeper shrugged, sighing heavily. "It's a new story every week with those fogeys. They're just bored and have too big of imaginations."

Rapunzel looked sheepish for even entertaining the idea. Then, she realized something. "Wait, how did you know I heard that from the sailors?"

Cassandra took a long, slow drink of her tea, leaving Rapunzel to await her answer. She seemed to take things at her own pace, never too quick to speak or act. Time appeared to matter very little to her. Why shouldn't it? She had no appointments to keep, no engagements to attend. A very laid back life, Rapunzel suspected, although undoubtedly dull. Naught but the wind and the waves and the occasional seabird to make conversation to.

"First off, you shouldn't spend too much time around those sea dogs. They'll be a bad influence on a young girl like you. Secondly, I know because the sea told me."

"The sea?"

"Aye."

"You _talk _to the sea?"

"Aye."

"What does it say?"

"Oh, lots of things. It sings, too."

"Really? I've never heard the sea say anything before."

"Maybe you've just never listened."

"Ha, maybe you're right," Rapunzel laughed, glad that Cassandra was finally opening up. "So what else do you do for fun? Besides talking with the ocean."

She shrugged again. "Whatever passes the time, I suppose. The sea is always changing from day to day, season to season. Always something new to see out there, if you know where and how to look."

"How about hobbies?"

"I keep a knife in my boot."

"...and I'm sure that is very useful!"

Rapunzel gulped down the rest of her tea while she scrambled to think of an appropriate response to this revelation, or perhaps another question to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"It'll be dark soon," Cassandra suddenly said, matter-of-factly.

Without any windows or clocks that Rapunzel could see on this level, she wondered how she could be so sure… But there was still so much she didn't know about her. An afternoon of idle chatter simply wasn't enough time to delve into the guarded mind of the lighthouse keeper.

"I should probably start heading home," Rapunzel stood and turned towards the door. "Thank you for the hospitality."

"I made tea," she stated, as if that wasn't enough of an effort to be considered hospitable. "But you're welcome."

As she stepped through the doorway, Rapunzel turned around to ask, "Same time next week?"

"Why?"

"Because I like you. And I'd like to see you again. If you wouldn't mind the company."

"I'm not really used to company."

"But could you? Get used to it."

Cassandra wavered in the doorway, seeming to debate between shutting the door right there and then and answering the question as well as ending the conversation on one swift movement, or giving an actual reply.

"Maybe I could," she rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly, "For you."

Rapunzel beamed. "You know, you're really pretty- ah- pretty good at keeping ships from crashing!"

"I would hope so. It _is_ my job."

"Right, yes! Okay, I'll see you later."

"Sure."

"Bye!" Rapunzel waved as she scurried off along the sand, hurrying to reach home before dark.

"Bye," Cassandra lifted a hand in response. As the golden-haired stranger turned away, she lowered it, letting it fall to her side as she watched her until she was out of sight. Maybe she didn't have to be such a stranger after all. Well, she was definitely _strange_ to come all the way out here just to see _her_. But she supposed she herself could be considered strange, living all alone. Not that being alone had really bothered her or anyone else over the years. But, perhaps more frequent visits from another person wouldn't kill her. It could be nice, even. Nice, perhaps, to not be quite so lonely.


End file.
